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Associated Press Published 8:18 AM EDT May 16, 2019 Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Iran’s foreign minister on Thursday said sanctions imposed by the Trump administration are “unacceptable” but that his country is committed to an international nuclear deal that has steadily unraveled amid rising tensions. On a visit to Tokyo, Mohammad Zarif defended Iran’s right to respond to the U.S. pullout from the nuclear deal last year and the imposition of sanctions. “We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for. We have exercised maximum restraints,” he said. In other comments carried on the semi-official Mehr news agency, Zarif was quoted as saying “a multilateral deal cannot be treated unilaterally.” Recent days have brought allegations of sabotage attacks targeting oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline claimed by Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi … [Read more...] about Iran claims right to respond to ‘unacceptable’ U.S. sanctions

Jon Gambrell and Nasser Karimi Associated Press Published 2:23 PM EDT May 15, 2019 Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The U.S. on Wednesday ordered all nonessential government staff to leave Iraq, and Germany and the Netherlands both suspended their military assistance programs in the country in the latest sign of tensions sweeping the Persian Gulf region over still-unspecified threats that the Trump administration says are linked to Iran. Recent days have seen allegations of sabotage targeting oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a drone attack by Yemen’s Iranian-allied Houthi rebels, and the dispatch of U.S. warships and bombers to the region. At the root of this appears to be President Donald Trump’s decision a year ago to pull the U.S. from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, embarking on a maximalist sanctions campaign against Tehran. In response, Iran’s supreme leader issued a veiled threat Tuesday, saying it wouldn’t be … [Read more...] about U.S. pulls nonessential staff from Iraq amid Mideast tensions

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - U.S.-backed forces have captured Islamic State fighters tied to a January suicide bombing in Syria that killed four Americans, U.S. officials say, generating concrete leads for Washington about the deadliest attack to date there against U.S. personnel.The bombing killed Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Farmer, Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician Shannon Kent and Scott Wirtz from the Defense Intelligence Agency. It also killed Ghadir Taher, a naturalized U.S. citizen working as a civilian interpreter for a U.S. contractor.One of the officials told Reuters the number of people detained was in the "single digits." A second official said there were several "initial detentions" made in February, without offering a specific number. The detentions have not been previously reported. 10 PHOTOS Reaction to Trump ordering strikes against Syria See Gallery Reaction to Trump ordering strikes against Syria **Click through the following slides to see … [Read more...] about U.S.-backed forces capture Syria suspects tied to American deaths

President Donald Trump is considering a “substantial” withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, according to the Wall Street Journal. The news of a potential shift in the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan comes just one day after the commander-in-chief decided to withdraw U.S. ground troops from Syria, against the advisement of his Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and various generals. The Journal, citing administration officials, reports the “drawdown could begin in several weeks” and that “under the plans being considered, troops could begin to return home from Afghanistan as early as January.” There are currently more than 14,000 troops stationed in Afghanistan. CNN’s Jake Tapper said that multiple sources tell him Trump administration officials are bracing for the announcement, though sources warn that the president has not made a final decision on the matter. Speaking to Tapper, the former … [Read more...] about Trump Administration Reportedly Weighing ‘Substantial’ U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan

Robert Burns Associated Press Published 7:21 PM EST Nov 14, 2018 Washington – Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday defended the use of active duty troops on the U.S.-Mexican border, saying that in some ways it provides good training for war. He argued that it’s analogous to a 1916 deployment to counter the Mexican revolutionary Gen. Francisco “Pancho” Villa. Speaking to reporters on his way to visit U.S. troops along the border in south Texas, Mattis declined to provide an estimate of how much the mission will cost. He said cost figures he has received thus far are “not anywhere near right.” He added that he believes, “very quickly we’ll know the real cost. So we’ll keep you posted as the real costs come in.” In his most extensive remarks about the hastily arranged border mission, Mattis argued that it fits an historical pattern dating to early in the 20th century. He noted that President Woodrow Wilson deployed … [Read more...] about Mattis defends use of military on U.S.-Mexico border